Can opener



March 6, 1956 J. BELPEDIO 2,736,958

CAN OPENER Filed April 14, 1955 Snventor l /9 LDEIEJY BELFEDI l z5 @MH/(M l i Gt'torneg CAN GPENER `lobby Belpedio, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application April 14, 1955, Serial No'.- 501,417

10 Claims. (Cl. Both-6.1)

The present` invention relates to can openers, and particularly to a type for perforating thetopsof beer cans and-the like. j

An object of the present invention is to provide an opener for perforating the top of a can at diametrically opposed points.

Another object is to provide an opener producing triangular-shaped perforations in which thepoints thereof are adjacent to the circumferential edge of the top, thereby permitting the contents to be poured or drunk without tending to spill.

Other objects include the provision of anv openerof relatively simple and sturdy construction, and one which is easy and safe to use.

According to the present invention,.a canmopener is provided comprising a saddle portion for positioningon a' can top, and opening' lever means pivotallymounted on the saddle portion and comprising a longlever arm in the form of a handle portionand a pair'of short lever arms carrying perforating means and projecting. outwardly fromV the handle portion at its lower end. Whenfthe handle portion is rocked about its pivotal mounting,A first in one direction and then the other, the said perforation means respectively engage and perforate the can topvr at diametrically opposed points. g

Other objects and advantages of thejinventilon` will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein satisfactory embodimentspf the invention are shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the detailstdisclosed but vincludes all such variations and modifications as-fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope offthe appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the openerlof ythe present invention;

Fig. 24 is a side-elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 yis a top plan view, the dotted .lines showingt-the positionlof a can engagedthereby;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the inner-side of. one of the half-sections of which the lever means of theinvention is formed;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the half-section lillustrated in Fig. 4, as seen from the right;

Fig. 6 is atop plan View of the half-section;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation showing in-solid linesthe lever member rocked in one direction, and-Showingfit -in dotted lines rocked in the other direction, thefsaddlefmenr` ber and top part of the can being shown in'vertical :seetion; and

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the perforated can;

Referring to the drawings, an openeris provided-com` prising a saddle portion 10 having a substantiallyropen bottom area 11, and a pair of upwardly extending arcuate parallel side walls 12 and 13 of such lengthvastoexceed the diameter of the canl the` openeris-designedlto -be m68 Patenti) used with, whereby the. endfedges of said sidewalls will Mice overhang portionldof thecangtop 15.* Coni necting plates 16`a1'1d`17 join the said side wallsv at their overhanging'fends' `Lug's 18 and 19 depend from' the opposing'inside'edges of connecting plates 16 and 17, andaredesigned to engage-the can directly beneath its' to'p rim 14: The lugs are provided with inwardly curved edge' portions`20and21and substantially straight edge portions 22 and 23', the curved edgev portions being in a circumferentialfline' to't about the wall of the can, th"e`f`-straig`htte'dgeLv portions being'tangential to such circumferential'll` line atl diametrically opposite' points. The s'trightiportions '22l and'23 of thelugspermit the saddle portion'o'f 'thelopene'r to be slipped laterally over the"`top`of-`the can', whileinwardly" curved portions 20 and 2-1l embrace the cylindrical wall` ofthe can' to limit lateral movement ofthe saddle tov av point where it straddlesa'diametric'center' line of the can top In' addition; to' centeringth'esaddle' with'resp'ect to the cantopgf the presence ofthe lugsfdir'ectly beneath the top rim 14 ofthe vcananchors-th'e saddle to the can top when' the opener 'is'in use'.

Centrally disposed withA respect to the lengths ofthe sidewalls'f-and pivotally mounted therebetween on pivot pi'nl124; is an opening" levermeans generally designated asZSfcomprising Vanormally vertical relatively long lever ar'mconstitutin'g-"a handle portion, generally designated ais-26;A having'a pair of outwardly projecting relatively shortY lever arms' 2'7 atits lower end, each having thereon-'la V-shapedlbladeportionv 28 having a reinforcing rib 29'fpr'es'sed upwa-rdlyithereinl The distance between the tWo-bladesis such 'that-their points will engage and perforatea-'cntp at points'adjacen't tol the ir'iner'edgel of its? "l`liat"is""to` say, th,e" span between thel outside ends o`f`v thefbladesissubstantially equal to the diameter of the can 'topi Positionedonopposite sides of the centrally positioned handle portion of-theopening means, on upwardly extendingar'cuate parallel walls 12 and 13 of the saddle, are-inwardly projecting indentations 39. These indentationslcontrol' the amount of play in the handle portion of 'the opening means, and to some extent the size of the perforation made-in the can top. Thus when the handle is rockedto'lonefside' causing the blade portion on that sidetoperforatefth'ecan top, the opposite blade porV tion-'wilL aftera'limited upward movement, engage the indentation on its side of the'wall 12 which stops its upward movement thereby preventing any further downward novenient'ofthehandle and the Vperforating blade Th"e"fpre`sence of `the indentations also provides l fety' 'n' use; in thatthey prevent the blade portions oflrthe'op'ener 'fforribeeorning exposed and thereby subjeeting'thefuserlor-.his clothing to harm.'

In'fope'rti'ng th"e"d evic"e; the saddle is slipped over the topof''thefl'can"until the" lugs 18 and 19 securely position tfat'a'diainetiicv centerline of the can. Thereafter the 4l1a`r1`dl`e'-i's frocked "first toone side and then to the other`v to'p'rdticef diamet'rically opposed perforations at the= -insideedge of the: rim' of thecan top. It will be notedftha't"becaseof the'blade portions of the 'opening means being V-shaped with the points thereof being direetedotwa'dlyf from' the handle, the point of the perforationwillb" adjacent to the inside edge of the rim, as Dppose'dto'th 'atfsideofoppositely oriented V-shaped openings 'produce d`b'y-the'y conventional rim engaging can 'e'rim isfused as a fulcrum.

n I llymounted opening means has been illustrated"aslhavi-nga pair of divergent blades, it should be understood that ai similar'handle with but one blade would', in l'so'rr "instances,V have practical application, in such ia casel th'efsaddleY portion 'would be slippedover the thereover from the other side for the purpose of making a diametrically opposed opening.

The opening lever is preferably hollow and formed of a pair of identical half sections of die-shaped sheet metal, one such section being shown in Figs. 4-6.

The half section illustrated comprises a handle-forining portion 31 having an inwardly extending ilange along its top and sides, one half part 32 of this ange being substantially wider than the other half part 33, and being so dimensioned that the edge of the flange part 32 is at one side of the central vertical plane of the complete lever member and the edge of the flange part 33 is at the other side of said central vertical plane, the oset edges being connected by a transverse edge portion 34 at the top of the handle portion disposed along the center line of the lever member. rl`he ange part 32 terminates in a bottom shoulder 35 extending inwardly to a lower side plate portion 36, while the ange part 33 terminates in line with a transverse shoulder 37 at the upper end of an outwardly and downwardly curved transverse wall portion 38 extending inwardly from one side edge of the plate portion 36 and upon the end of which there is provided the blade 28. The plate portion 36 is provided with a center hole 39 to receive the pivot pin 24, and its bottom edge is provided with a transversely extending lug 4l) having its inner edge along the vertical center line of the half section. The edge 41 of the plate portion 36 opposite the transverse wall portion 38, is downwardly and outwardly curved in correspondence to the curvature of the outer surface of the wall portion 38.

In assembling the lever member, a pair of identical half-sections have their inner sides engaged with each other in interlocking relation, the edge of the ange part 32 of one half section iitting against the edge of the ange part 33 of the other half section, and the upper edge of the wall portion 38 of one half section fitting against the lower edge 35 of the llange part 32 of the other half section. The free side edge of the wall portion 38 of one half section abuts the inner surface of the plate portion 36 of the other halt` section adjacent the curved edge 41, and the transverse lug portion 4i) of one half section abuts the transverse lug portion 4i) of the other half section along the center line of the assembled structure, and its end portion overlies the lower edge of the plate portion 36. The two half sections are preferably rigidly secured together by spot welding at suitable contacting points, thus providing a rigid hollow lever member of relatively great strength, light in weight and which may be economically produced.

What is claimed is:

l. A can opener comprising a saddle portion for positioning on a can top, opening means pivotally mounted on said saddle portion at a point spaced substantially inward of the edge of said can top in the engaged relation of said saddle portion therewith, said means comprising a handle portion and perforating means projecting outwardly from the lower end of said handle portion in a direction away from said pivot point toward the edge of the can tcp, whereby when the handle is rocked on its pivot in the direction in which said perforating means projects therefrom the said can top is perforated by a cut made toward said pivot point and away from the edge of the can top.

2. A can opener comprising a saddle portion for positioning on a can top, opening means pivotallymounted on said saddle portion, said means comprising a handle portion and a pair of divergent perforating means projecting from the lower end of said handle portion, Whereby when the handle is rocked to one side and then the other on its pivot the perforating means perforates the can at opposite points on the can top.

3. A can opener comprising a saddle portion for positioning on a can top, means for positioning said saddle portion at a diametric center line of a can top, opening means pivotally mounted on said saddle portion at a point spaced substantially inward' of the edge of said can top in the engaged relation of said saddle portion therewith, said means comprising a normally vertical handle portion and perforating means projecting outwardly from the lower end of said handle portion in a direction away from said pivot point toward the edge of the can top whereby when the handle is rocked on its pivot in the direction in which said perforating means projects therefrom the said can top is perforated by a cut made toward said pivot point and away from the edge of the can top.

4. A can opener comprising a saddle portion for positioning on a can top, means for positioning said saddle portion at a diametric center line of a can top, opening means pivotally mounted on said saddle portion, said means comprising a normally vertical handle portion and a pair of divergent perforating blade members projecting from the lower end of said handle portion, whereby when the handle is rocked to one side and then the other on its pivot the blade means perforates the can top at diametrically opposed points.

5. A can opener for beer cans and the like comprising a saddle portion having a substantially open underside, upwardly extending side walls, and means adjacent to its outer ends for mounting said saddle portion on a diametric center line of a can top, opening means pivotally mounted between the side walls of said saddle, said means comprising a handle portion and a pair of divergent perforating blades projecting from the lower end thereof, the span between the ends of the blades being substantially the same as the diameter of the can top, whereby when the handle is rocked to one side and then the other on its pivot the blades perforate the can top at diametrically opposed points thereof adjacent to the inside edge of the can rim.

6. A can opener for beer cans and the like, comprising a saddle portion having a substantially open underside, upwardly extending side walls, plates connecting said side walls at their outer ends, and means depending from said plates for engaging the saddle beneath the rim at the top of the can and for mounting said saddle por- 'tion on a diametric center line of the can top, opening means pivotally mounted between the side walls of the saddle centrally disposed with respect to the length of the side walls, said means comprising a normally vertical handle portion and a pair of divergent perforating blades projecting from the lower end thereof, the span between the ends of the blades being substantially the same as the diameter of the can top, whereby when the handle is rocked to one side and then the other on its pivot the blades perforate the can top at dlametrically opposed points thereon adjacent to the inside edge of the can rim.

7. A can opener for opening beer cans and the like, comprising a saddle portion having a substantially open underside, upwardly extending arcuate parallel side walls, connecting means joining the side wall members at their outside ends, rim engaging lug means depending from the connecting means, said lug means having inwardly curved portions and substantially straight portions to thereby permit the saddle to be slipped laterally over the top of the can until the saddle straddles a diametric center line of the top, the inward curving portion of the lug means being positioned substantially on one side or" the diametric center line and the straight portions being substantially on the other side thereof, an opener member pivotally mounted between the side walls of the saddle and centrally disposed with respect to the length of the side walls, said means comprising a normally vertical handle portion, and a pair of divergent blades projecting from the lower end of said handle portion within the area defined by the side walls, said opening means being such that when the handle portion thereof is rocked to one side on its pivot the outside edge of one blade will perforate the top of the can at a point adjacent to the inside edge of the rim and when rocked to the other side the other blade will perforate the top of the can at a dametrically opposed point adjacent to the inside edge of the rim.

8. The opener according to claim 7, characterized by stop lugs projecting from the side walls of the saddle which limit the upward movement of one blade and the downward movement of the opposite blade.

9. An opener according to claim 7, characterized by V-shaped blades which produce perforations at diametrically opposed points on a can top in which the point of the V is adjacent to the rim of the can.

10. An opener according to claim 2, characterized in that said opening means comprises a pair of complemen- 6 tary intertting joined hollow members, each having a handle forming portion at one side of the central vertical rocking plane of said opening means, and each having a can top perforating blade portion disposed one at one side of the pivot axis and one at the other side of said pivot axis.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,991,247 Hamlin Feb. 12, 1935 

